No more walking to school(long winded)

[yogamom2007]

My dd started kindergarten on Monday. We live .8 mile from the school. I decided that it would be fun for us to walk. There is one major road so I drive across it and park the car in a church parking lot and then we walk from there. The 1st day was fine no problems. She is scheduled to get out at 3:20 I got there at 3:27 and she was walking down the street with a stranger. I asked her why she was walking w/ a stranger and she said her teacher said too. So I called the school to find out why my 5 year old daughter had been told by her teacher to go with a stranger. I was then informed that walkers are just released and no one makes sure that they are picked up by a parent. The car lane however is supervised from 3:30- 4:00. They told me that we lived to far and that she would need to be a car rider. Wwyd? I also have a one year old so walking would be the best for us obviously I would get there early so she did not get sent off w/ a stranger.

[elmh23]

I'd tell her to stay near the pick up lane with those teachers until you get her. Ask her teacher to walk her over there. Also, leave your house earlier.

[tinuviel_k]

I would make sure to get there at least 15 minutes early every day that you walk, and to have her wait in the car pick-up area for you on days when you are not there at the close of school.

[1growingsprout]

i would make sure i was there by 315 waiting for school release. possibly get your 1yr old a stroller or sling so the walk goes quicker. drop off and pick-up are very busy times for schools, its best to be early and do the 'waiting'

[yogamom2007]

The place they let out the walkers and the place they let out the walkers are on opposite sides of the school. I am not sure that they would make her a walker/ car rider as someone would have to supervise her. I just think that it is shocking that they do not have someone to make sure that the walkers are picked up. If they are there for the car lane shouldn't they be there for the walkers as well? I talked to the vice principal this morning should I call the principal and see if they are willing to work w/ me if I am ever late again which of course I have no intention of doing again. Also the 1st day I was there at 3:12 and had to wait until 3:40 for her to be dismissed and no one told me when I said that she was going to be a walker that they just let them out of the door.

[elmh23]

Well it sounds like they need a better system. I'd talk to the principal. Most kids walk home alone, so I could see them just letting them go, but for a 5 year old, it should be expected that the parent is going to be picking them up.

Do you have your one year old in a stroller or sling or is she walking too? If she's walking, I'd put her in a stroller or sling so it goes faster (you could also power walk there, cutting your time.)

[pigpokey]

Can't she wait where you tell her to? Perhaps you should go over with her teacher the options for a nice place to wait. Ask if she can go on the playground until you get there, or sit under a certain tree. I'm not sure it's fair to ask them to babysit her. I would think the majority of walkers would walk home alone.

[yogamom2007]

He is in a stroller or a wrap. And that is what I thought a 5 year old should not be able to walk home alone. I told the woman on the phone the vice principal that I would be walking her to school as they did not care how she got there as long as she was on time. I may call the principal and try and work something out.

[Polliwog]

Originally Posted by pigpokey

Can't she wait where you tell her to? Perhaps you should go over with her teacher the options for a nice place to wait. Ask if she can go on the playground until you get there, or sit under a certain tree. I'm not sure it's fair to ask them to babysit her. I would think the majority of walkers would walk home alone.

No one would have to "babysit" her if she waited with the children who are being picked up in cars. The carpool lane is usually pretty long so the children usually sit in a group waiting for their rides (at least at all the schools I've worked with.)

Five-year-olds shouldn't be on the playground alone or under a tree. That's a huge liability issue. I'd definitely raise the issue with the principal. If that doesn't work, go up the chain.

[MusicianDad]

If the principal doesn't/won't work something out with you, maybe take it to the PTA if you have one, or other parents. I'm sure there are other parents there that would be worried about a 5yo being allowed to just walk out of the school and out of the school yard. If the school won't change things, you and the other parents might be able to come up with an arrangement that will work to protect the children.

At dd's school there are two or three parents a day that have agreed to stay with the kids until the ones who are walking with parents are picked up by the right person.

[Eris]

Why not sign her in as a car-rider? And then you show up on foot every day, so what? Who was the stranger she was walking with? Why did your daughter say she was told to go with them, if she wasn't told to go with them?

[lightheart]

Remember too that some of the walkers may be kids who walk home completly by themselves so just releasing the kids at a certain time would make sense for those kids.

I understand your concerns though of not wanting your child 'just released'

If your the only parent actually picking up their child on foot it might be a hiccup in their 'system' but they should be able to work something out that would work for both them and you.

Having her stay with the car riders until you got there sounds like it might work.

Have you thought about what will happen if itis raining or bad weather are you still going to walk? Your anwer may affect what you work out with the school.

At my son's school car riders stay in their rooms or the gym and they call the names out as the parents go through the line with a lady with a walkie talkie relaying names as she goes down the parking lot and road id-ing the cars/parents. Some parents choose to park and then walk up and they do basically the same thing calling the names over the intercom.

At my brother's son's school car riders were not allowed to park, parents/pick-up people had to stay in the cars and a piece of paper with the child's name on it had to be in the left hand front of the window. The kids were grouped sitting outside by grades and their names were called out as the cars approached. The first couple times I picked them up, I had to wait a little extra until one of the other teachers confirmed that it was 'okay' that my nephews got in my car because I wasn't the usual person doing the pick-up even though the nephews were there saying "yes dad said I was going to be picked up by aunt this afternoon" Their rules and procedures were strict!

[MommaFox]

I'd do everything I could to get the school to change thier pick-up policy. None of the schools I've dealt with have ever let a kindergarten student just walk off, or even point and say "That's my mommy's car. The parents were required to get thier lazy bums out of thier cars and go up to physically claim thier children. I'd call the superintendant, administrators and if that didn't work, I'd call the local news chanels, news papers, get the police involved, whatever it took to ensure the safety of my chlld and other children. It is extremely irresponsible of this school, and if people knew about the policy of just letting kiddos this young just wander off I'm certain tehy wouldn't stand for it.

[textbookcase]

I don't like this policy at all, I would talk to the principal and in the meantime make sure you get there BEFORE school lets out.

[amcal]

Umm, walkers by definition are walkers who generally walk home by themselves. I understand that you meet her but, most of the time when a child is identified as a walker, the school assumes they are walking home so how could they be supervised?

Personally, I'd have her go to a place where there are lots of people - in front of the office for example and just wait there.

But really, I'd just make sure I was there early.

Our car line is insane so, I park and go in and get my kids. I always make sure I'm early but, they know that if something happens and I'm not there, they are to stay either with the car line kids who are supervised until placed in their cars or they are to go to the office and wait.

[rainyday]

First off, the school doesn't get to tell you how you can pick up your daughter.

That being said, I would sign her in as a car rider so that she'll be supervised if you're running late. I would definitely leave early and try to get there by 10 minutes or so before school lets out, but stuff happens, and it's important to have a back-up plan if you're late.

Then, if you get to school late, just walk through to the other side where the car kids wait, and pick her up. When you're on time, just meet her outside her classroom.

I do think it might be worth talking to the principal about and perhaps it would be something to bring up at a PTA meeting. It's definitely the kind of thing the PTA could take on -if there are several kids in this situation. However, there may not be any other kids your daughter's age who are walkers, and that may be the reason that your school doesn't have a supervision policy for the younger kids.

[mistymama]

I think your best solution is to get there early to pick her up. Maybe work something out with her teacher? Like you pick her up from the classroom right before class is dismissed, or something similar.

My son just started K this week, and pickup time is a ZOO! We are all assigned carpool numbers, the number tag must be in our car window. Each of our children have a carpool number tag on their backpack. As you pull up in line they call your number, and a teacher helps your child into the car.

[amcal]

Wait, I'm seriously confused. How is this the school's fault? You signed her in as a walker. To our school that means she is walking home. How in the world would the school be expected to supervise all children whose parents have said it's ok for them to walk home? You said it's ok for her to walk home so, they let her go - on your direction.

If you no longer want her to be able to walk off school grounds then change the way your child is identified with the school.

I can not imagine signing my child as a walker and then expecting the school to supervise her. How do they know you're coming to get her? And really, you were late so the issue here is your lateness. You were 7 minutes late. It's not the school's responsibility to figure out how to supervise every child who is identified as a walker but whose parent comes and picks them up but then is late. How in the world would they do this?

Honestly, this is about personal responsibility, not running off to the PTA to complain about a situation that you, yourself created. Had you not been late, there wouldn't have been an issue. But, you were late, your child is signed in as a walker so they let her walk. I don't get the problem.

[moondiapers]

tell them she's a car rider....you can walk to where the car riders wait and pick her up.

[TiredX2]

As a bit of support for the OP:

At our school, kinders (walker, car OR bus) need to be met by a parent. The teacher waits with the walkers and the car kids, the bus kids are put on the bus (and are not put off if there is not an adult at the bus stop). So, I can see where different expectations would lead you.

Honestly, it seems like a lot of hassle to me for you to drive part way, then get out and then walk

I would go with the have DD wait in the car line.